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20. Here are the Promenade Apartments, across the street from 123 South Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA. When Kyle woke up from his future war nightmare, this was the apartment complex in the background.

21. On the right side is the building marked 'General Bank' in the movie. While the building no longer carries that name, the structure of the building is recognizable. The pedestrian bridge is visible in the background, as well as some of the taller buildings seen in the movie.

22. So what were they building over there? More Promenade Apartments. The construction vehicles were operating right about where this entrance is now. Here's what now occupied the construction site from the movie:

23. The police officer watching Sarah's apartment is just leaving as the Terminator arrives. Across the street, the Lafayette Park Towers apartments can be seen. While it's difficult to make out in the movie, the address number on the building is '421'. The address is much easier to see in the modern-day shot. Some significant modifications have been made to the parking structure, but otherwise the building is still pretty recognizable. The garage entry has been narrowed somewhat, and a large vent/window has been walled over. The driveway ramp was never narrowed, so it hints at the original size of the entry in the modern-day shot. In the modern-day shots, the support pillars inside the parking structure are just barely visible through the gate. On the front of the building are decorative columns with lights mounted to them that shine up the grooves in the columns. The narrow light beams in the movie screenshot proves that the grooves are present, and in the daylight the actual light fixtures can be seen. It's hard to tell in the movie, but not all windows extend all the way to the front face. There are also balconies present, with recessed doors and windows. Above the address number and just to the right, those two columns of windows are flush with the outer wall. To either side of those the windows are inset to accommodate balconies.

24. The camera pans around to follow the Terminator as it tracks down the final Sarah on its hitlist. The entry of the apartment complex is instantly recognizable. The style of the balconies is the same. The wooden fencing separating the apartments is also the same. At the entry, the security camera housing still exists and is pointing at the front door. While the phone system itself is different, its location is not, and the light fixture is still the same. The glass window of the main entry is unchanged. The front door is unchanged, and the lighting inside the lobby is the same. The railings for the steps match, and the bricks lining the steps on the left side still exist.

25. Sarah notices a suspicious man lurking in front of a neighboring store front. It's Kyle, who watches intently as Sarah walks past. Again, the color and tiling of the wall matches. There's also a retractable grating protecting a window in the background.

26. Sarah looks behind her to see if she's being followed. The angled store front of what is now a jewelry store is visible to the right.

27. The store Kyle was loitering at are visible in the background. and the angled store front of what is now a jewelry store (JPB) is visible to the right in the background as well. Sarah approaches the Tech Noir. A distinctive triangular sign can be seen next door. The Tech Noir location itself has changed considerably

28. As Kyle walks past, the camera pans up to view the Tech Noir sign. Again, the triangular sign next door is visible. It's hard to say with absolute certainty, but it appears that part of the eave above the Tech Noir still exists today. In the modern-day shot, the portion of the store front with the '720 S. Hill St.' address may be part of the Tech Noir store front. The upper floors of the building next door appears to have been remodeled over the years, but it still has a classical styling to it.

29. The location where 1L-19 loses his police car to the Terminator is also the same location used for the introduction of Reese's arrival scene, also reused later in the movie for some shots of the chase.

30. Here's Visible here is the ramp Kyle drove up right after he told Sarah that the man who tried to kill her was a Terminator

31. Kyle goes into a skid in order to line up with the parking garage entry. The gated entry itself has changed significantly over the years, but two buildings in the background are recognizable. Of particular note is the building on the right. That's the Promenade Apartments. The scene where Kyle steals a car was filmed right around the corner, and the Promenade Apartments are visible in the background.

32. This first set of pictures depicts the intersection of 4th Street and South Grand Avenue. They turn from South Hope Street (which becomes 4th Street) onto the lower level of South Grand Avenue. The curbs and traffic signals have been redone since 1984, but there are still notable similarities. The ceiling structure is the same, as is the design of the pillars. The recess in the far wall for lighting is still there, and the slope of the street is the same, with the left side being lower than the right.

33. Toward the right side of this second set of images are several matching details. Note the matching layout of the doors and vents.

34. In the last seconds of the chase, Sarah is running out of road, and stops the car suddenly to avoid a crash. The Terminator, temporarily blinded by a shattered windshield and a shotgun blast to the face, crashes into a wall at what is now the intersection of South Grand Avenue and Koscuszko. In the years since The Terminator was filmed, the wall was removed so that the roadway could be extended somewhat. However, there is evidence that indicates where the wall was.

Note that the bases of the pillars are painted. The wall used to exist where the closest pillar with beige paint can be seen. Also, the concrete of the ceiling is a different color beyond the intersection than it is before it, suggesting that it was poured more recently than the rest. The lighting also changes at that point. Going from the long fluorescent tubes to much smaller spotlights. Finally, note the skylight in the ceiling. The shape of the skylight matches, as does the type of railing used above. In the screenshot from the movie, note the location of the wall relative to the skylight. In the current photos of the scene, the lighting and concrete transitions occur at the exact same location.

35. As the police arrive on the scene, they drive in from the same direction Kyle and the Terminator did. Some people may notice that while the lighting is similar, it is not exactly the same. It is true that the lighting was changed at some point. Careful inspection of the roof reveals rows of patched holes that coincide with where the old lighting was installed.

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All photos and descriptions by David Drummond

Edited by Adrian Czarny

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